Available technology to inspect repeated patterns formed on a surface of a semiconductor wafer includes an inspection using the change of intensity of diffracted light that is emitted from the surface of a wafer (this type of inspection is hereafter called a “diffraction inspection”), and a method for detecting the change of polarization state caused by form birefringence of a pattern using a cross-Nicol optical system (this type of inspection is hereafter called a “PER inspection”) (e.g. see Patent Documents 1 and 2). According to these inspection methods, a line width defect or cross-sectional profile defect of a pattern based on defocusing and a dose shift of the exposure devise, resist coating defect or the like can be detected at high-speed and high precision.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 3669101
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-343102